Writing My Debut Novel

October 2026 · Mike Hince

My Friend Ark and Let There Be Ark, the Ark of Pinehill books by Michael Hince — My Friend Ark, and book two, Let There Be Ark.

Since moving to Australia, I’ve turned my hand to writing. Not case studies or app copy, actual books. With a demon in.

A deadline I missed by a bit

I’ve wanted to write something funny, cheeky and charming for as long as I can remember. I even told myself I’d be a paid author by the time I was thirty years old.

I turned forty-five in August.

So I missed that one by fifteen years or so. Better late than never.

A confession

I’ll confess to you, I’m not a big reader. Which is probably why the first thing I ever wrote was a screenplay called Jack’s Funeral. It never made it out of its first draft, and that’s probably for the best.

After that I loved writing what I called micro-stories. Really they were a lazy way of getting stories out of my head before they disappeared. Many of those stories are destined for bigger things. I just need to sit down and write them.

Writing My Friend Ark

When I moved to Australia in 2025 I found myself unable to work for a while. Rather than sit around twiddling my thumbs, I got started on what is now my debut novel, MY FRIEND ARK.

It’s about a man, his wise-cracking demon and the 18th century painting that depicts him. Ian Summers has been followed around by Ark, an eight-foot tall demon, for twenty-one years. Ark is like an older brother to him. A much, much older brother. When a painting of Ark turns up, Ian gets pulled into visions of the demon’s past, a dangerous art collector and a long-lost pirate treasure. All Ian really wants to do is finish his coffee.

Underneath all that, it’s a story about friendship, loneliness and grief, but told in a very fun, British whimsy kind of way. There’s also secret societies and pirates. What’s not to like?

Paperback copy of My Friend Ark by Michael Hince

What readers are saying

It came out in July 2026 and has since picked up a 4.6 star rating from 120 ratings on Amazon, which still feels a bit surreal. A few of my favourite comments so far:

If you like rural England, secret criminal societies and pirate treasure, then this book is for you. Oh, there is also a wise cracking Demon, so what’s not to like!
Amazon reader

Brilliant, I absolutely loved this! Ark is the friend we all need. Great music references too.
Kindle reader

Absolutely loved this book. I want a friend like Ark. Characters are well thought out, storyline well executed and humorous.
Kindle reader

The start of something

I’m mega proud of it, and even if only a handful of people read it, I’m happy.

I don’t have children, and I like the thought that books will outlive us all. So maybe this is the start of many more to come from me. Book two, Let There Be Ark, is already on its way and you can pre-order it on Amazon now.